


Most accidents happen at home

by moonlight_petal



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Burger Bun toaster, Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, Household Accidents, Hurt Mac, Jack to the rescue, Mac is an idiot, Mac's inventions, Stupidity, Worried Jack, h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 12:44:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17407160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlight_petal/pseuds/moonlight_petal
Summary: The Phoenix team has a rare day off. That apparently doesn't mean Netflix and chill for Mac.Jack only wanted to enjoy the game on TV but that plan is interrupted when Mac called him.orMost accident happen in the household. That does not exclude the MacGyver household. Just the nature of accident might be a bit different.





	Most accidents happen at home

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something I came up with when people in my vicinity kept on cutting themselves while cooking or doing the dishes. Be careful people!
> 
> Other than that, I'm working on another story currently but this wanted to be written before.  
> And as always, not a native speaker. So sorry about that.  
> Please enjoy!

_Jack POV_

_This is ridiculous if you ask me, completely ridiculous. And if someone ever had suggested to me that something like this could happen, I certainly would have had the laugh of my life. Because what are the odds?_

_With everything we do for a living, the risks, the dangers, the creepy stalker enemies, there always was and is a chance that neither of us would live to be that old. Although if I have anything to say about it, you will live up to 120._

_But here's the thing, in the unlikely event we had to die young after all, I always imagined that we would go out in a blaze of glory, something big where we consciously trade our lives for many other innocent ones. *We* and *our* being the keywords here. It never was the plan for me being alive and well and you lying there motionless, just about hanging on. Especially not over something ridiculous like a household accident, even if it was a MacGyver household accident._

 

~*~

 

**Several hours earlier**

Jack was tired as hell, exhausted down to the smallest bone. The team might have had the day off and he should have been able to relax some, but after weeks of one mission after the other, changing countries and timezones like other people their underware, quite a lot of stuff kept piling up at his own home. Life doesn't stop just because you work for the government.

 

So he had spent the day cleaning his apartment, grocery shopping (mostly cans and frozen stuff, he had long stopped buying fresh food, never home long enough to eat it anyway.) and tinkering a little on his car. It had started to make some very bad noises recently and he always thrived to have his baby in perfect condition. While outside his neighbour, a friendly old lady Jack was absolutely unable to say 'no' to, asked for his help with mowing her lawn and repairing some odds and ends around her house since her good for nothing son didn't care enough to come visit once in a while to do it for her. At least there was some delicious pie in it for him in the end.

 

Now, though, he was exhausted and just wanted to sit down with a quick meal and a cold beer and enjoy the game on TV. Idly he wondered if 'the kids' -as he had secretly started to refer to his team members in his head- had been able to relax more that day. He knew that Riley and Bozer had planned to hit the mall together. Finally settled in a comfortable friendship, the two of them spent a lot of time together, a bond probably also forged by the fact that more often than not they had to stay back together and  watch Mac and him risk their lives on the screens. Helplessness brings people together like nothing else, Jack thought.

 

Jack didn't know exactly what Mac had been up to that day but he was sure the younger man hadn't used his time off sleeping like he probably should have done. On the contrary, knowing Mac, he had been working on some kind of project all day long. They were lucky if he remembered to drink and eat at all. Good thing that Bozer would take care of that when he came home at the latest.

 

As if on cue, just when the game started, his phone started blaring Iron Maiden's 'Be Quick or Be Dead', announcing an incoming call from his partner. (Certainly Riley's idea of a joke but Jack didn't dislike the choice.)

 

"Hey Mac, I was just thinking about you..." he said in greeting, turning down the volume of his TV.

 

"Uh, hey Jack... you busy?" Mac asked cautiously and instantly Jack felt a cold shudder running down his spine. If asked he wouldn't be able to explain what it was that he heard in his partner's voice but it set im on high alert.

 

"Not really, what's up?" the older man sat up in his chair, listening very closely to the background of the phonecall trying to determine if Mac might have villainous company.

 

"Well, funny thing that... you remember how I promised Bozer that I would build him a toaster that would allow him to also make burger buns and that would automatically eject them when they are perfectly done?"

 

Jack made a soft noise in assent. He remembered Bozer's last rant about how his burger patties were always beyond perfect (true!) but he always had trouble with the buns despite his general chef's abilities and the resulting promise made by Mac.

 

"I did it, I think. Bozer will have to do a bit of fine tuning as to what exactly he defines as 'perfect' but other than that, I'm done and it's awesome! It's just that I..." Mac took a deep breath. "...uh had a little accident while working on the toaster... it went off unexpectedly and ejected some of the things I was about to install. It's not all that bad... I think... but I guess I will need a couple of stitches? Could you pick me up please? I would drive myself but Bozer took my car this morning... his wouldn't start... which reminds me that I wanted to take a look at that as well... shoot, so many fun things to do around the house..." Mac rambled on, pretty untypical for him.

 

"Mac... Mac, wait a minute..." Jack snapped, already on his feet, beer and game forgotten, with his keys in hand. "You mean to tell me that you managed to hurt yourself bad enough to need stitches? When was that exactly?" the older had a very bad feeling that he already knew the answer. And he didn't like it at all.

 

"Uh... don't know exactly... an hour ago? Something like that? I did put a bandage over it, though. I just wanted to finish this thing up real quick and surprise Bozer with it when he gets back home... but the bandage... well... it's still bleeding so I guess I do need stitches after all... why I called you..." Mac chuckled on the other end of the line and it sounded all kinds of wrong to Jack.

 

He knew the kid for years now, together they saved so many people, came back from seemingly impossible situations mostly unharmed. But more importantly he also knew Mac when he was hurt, always putting everything else before himself, for all his intelligence generally misjudging his injuries. More stubborn than a mule he usually pulled through by sheer willpower anyway but there always was someone -mostly Jack himself- with him to keep an eye on him, to make sure Mac didn't do anything stupid. That's what made Jack anxious now, Mac being alone with an injury that was still bleeding after an hour despite being bandaged. That probably wasn't just a random little cut.

 

"Good, good call, I'm on my way now, don't do anything stupid and try to keep some pressure on it... I don't need to tell you that it's not a good sign it's still bleeding, do I? Stay put okay? I'll be there as quickly as possible."

 

"Okay Jack. I'll just wait here then, see you soon." Mac replied easily.

 

Too easily for Jack's comfort. No teasing comment about his overprotectiveness. No further reassurance that he was fine really. Just plain and simple consent. And that worried Jack even more.

 

He was already halfway to Mac's place when his worry won out and he called in to 911 to send an ambulance to his friend's place. Jack would much rather apologise to the EMT's for calling them unnecessarily, instead of needing them and not having called them. Call it a parental hunch or whatever but he had a strong bad feeling about this situation.

 

Oh and was he right about this feeling.

The older man arrived first at Mac's house, entering immediately. A quick sweep of the living room told him that his friend wasn't there. The kitchen was a right mess with tools and other stuff lying around with a brand new Frankenstein's toaster in the middle. In the sink, he saw from the corner of his eye, was a bloody towel but no Mac either.

 

"Mac? Buddy? Where are you? Didn't I tell you to stay put?" Jack called through the house, listening carefully for any signs of his partner. A sudden crash directed him to the bathroom in the back of Mac's part of the house.

 

Jack had to quickly stop and take a deep, calming breath when he entered the bathroom. Seeing your best friend and partner sitting in a pool of his own blood in the field while at work was one thing. To see him like that in his own home? A completely different matter, Jack learned.

 

"Mac? Shit, buddy? You awake?" he slid to the ground, not caring that the knees of his pants quickly soaked up the blood on the floor. "Come on, kid, look at me!"

 

A small thread of relief filled Jack when Mac slowly, sluggishly turned his head up and looked at the older man with dazed eyes.

"Jack... you came!" he grinned faintly.

 

"Of course, you bloody idiot! You should have called me sooner, Mac! Damn it!" Jack cursed, quickly locating a fresh towel and pressing it to the wound just under Mac's shoulder.

 

The blond chuckled.

"You said bloody... he, I guess I am..." Mac mumbled, absentmindedly holding his free hand in front of his eyes which was covered in drying blood as well. "I guess it's gotten a bit worse..."

 

"No shit?! Mac, this is serious! Stay with me, kid! You have to stay awake!" Jack added, when he notices Mac's eyes starting to flutter shut more and more.

 

In that moment the door bell rang and Jack sent a quick internal thank you to whoever might hear it, that he trusted his gut and did call 911 on his way here already.

He took Mac's hand away from his line of sight and pushed it on the quickly soaking towel.

"Here, hold this, I'll be right back! No falling asleep, Mac! You hear me?"

 

Jack ran to the door and quickly led the EMTs to Mac, let them do their thing and soon after they strapped him onto a stretcher. Calm and collected they did their job but made it abundantly clear that they had to move fast.

 

On their way out, Jack walked into Bozer and Riley who just returned home, shocked to find Jack's car and an ambulance in the driveway.

 

"Jack! What happened?" were Bozer's first words in a trembling voice, the memory of Murdoc in their home still fresh in his mind.

 

"Mac managed to hurt himself with one of his projects. I'll go with him, I'll tell you more at the hospital." the older informed the other two on his way outside, adding the name of the hospital for Riley to help navigate.

 

**

 

They got sent to the waiting area while Mac was in surgery where Jack explained what little he did know about what had happened to Bozer and Riley. After that Jack took it upon himself to inform Matty about what happened, while Bozer called Penny.

 

Almost an hour had passed when a doctor made his appearance, asking for the family of Angus MacGyver. If the older man had been surprised by the group who immediately looked up at his word, he didn't show it.

 

"That's us, my name is Jack Dalton." the older man got to his feet, quickly shaking hands with the doctor.

 

"Mr Dalton, I'm glad to inform you that Mr MacGyver made it through surgery just fine and will make a full recovery soon enough. It appears that the object that hit him slightly lacerated the artery under his collarbone which should explain the extensive bloodloss. Either that or the object cut the artery when it was removed. From what you told the emergency personnel about the time of injury up to the time he went into surgery, Mr MacGyver was very lucky you found him when you did, any later and it would have been a really close call. He will be moved to a private room soon. I will send someone to take you there as soon as he is properly settled in. It will take some time however until he will wake up." the doctor informed him.

 

"Thank you very much, doc!" Jack said, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

The older man just nodded and left to attend to the next patient.

 

**

 

That's how Jack found himself sitting in a frankly catastrophically uncomfortable chair next to Mac's hospital bed, watching the younger one sleep and musing about the stupidity that led them there. The rest of their small family of choice -Bozer, Riley, Matty and Penny- sat or stood all over the place. Nobody said anything, tired eyes directed on Mac alone.

 

A slight jump in his heart rate alerted them first, next Mac's eyelids started to flutter gently before he slowly opened his eyes.

 

Jack was on his feet at the first signs, slightly leaning over the blond, one hand gently covering Mac's.

 

"Hey there, buddy? Finally awake again?" he asked softly, careful not to be too loud.

 

Mac blinked slowly and unfocused up at the older man, obviously not completely there yet.

"Dad?" was the first word that left his lips, punching Jack in the gut like a sledgehammer and sending smiles on the lips of everyone else present.

 

"Close enough, kiddo. Close enough! Seriously at the rate this is going I'll be as gray as a grandpa soon." Jack chuckled softly. And if he did have tears in his eyes, nobody mentioned it.

 

"What happened? Where am I? Why are you all here?" Mac wanted to know, as his brain slowly came back online and with the program, curiously looking at all the occupants in the room.

 

"You're in the hospital, bro. Seriously, I appreciate you helping me out with my burger buns and all but if your inventions lead to a trip to the ER, I can totally live with what I already have." Bozer said, shaking his head gently, stepping closer to Mac's other side.

 

A goofy grin spread over Mac's face at that.

"The burger bun toaster! I finished it, it's awesome!"

 

"Yeah and almost killed yourself in the process. Seriously, blondie, for someone with an IQ as high as yours, you certainly are stupid sometimes!" Matty stated, fond exasperation in her usually calm voice.

 

"Uhm... is it wrong that I'm kind of craving a burger now?" Riley asked, a sheepish grin on her face, lightening the mood somewhat as Penny started to giggle, the men grinned and Matty had an amused twinkle in her eyes.

 

"I didn't want to mention it but I feel the same, especially since I skipped dinner to rush here after Bozer's call." Penny admitted.

 

"Well, before I actually knew what this idiot did, he told me that apparently the toaster needs a bit of Bozer fine tuning, so I guess we'll have to wait for him to come back home. But you're welcome to go and eat a burger, my treat!" Jack said, grinning fondly at Mac, happy his friend was alright.

 

"That actually sounds tempting but unfortunately I'll have to get back to work..." Matty said. "But you lot can go, Mac needs to rest anyway! That being said, you take care of yourself, rest well and I'll see you soon, Mac!"

 

Jack pulled out his wallet, taking out a couple of bills and handing them to Riley.

"Go, get something to eat, you three! I'll stay here and make sure he doesn't try to escape!" he smiled.

 

With more promises to come back soon and wishes of a quick recovery, the three left Mac, who just waved tiredly in good-bye.

 

"You should rest, Mac." Jack said softly, sitting back down again. "And don't you *ever* do something like this to me again!" he added.

 

"Sorry... and thanks for coming Jack!" Mac replied, tiredly.

 

"Always, kiddo, always..."

 

(When he was allowed to come back home, Mac had to promise his family that he would only work on projects either at the Foundation or when someone else was around to keep an eye on him. Mac hadn't been all to happy about that, he was a grown-up after all, but seeing all the worried expressions on their faces, he did promise them. The burger bun toaster had been a complete success anyway!)


End file.
